Meta Platforms, Inc. $META Stake Raised by OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp

Key Points

• OMERS Administration more than doubled its Meta stake in the second quarter, increasing holdings by 123.2% to 710,539 shares worth approximately $400.2 million. Institutional investors collectively own 79.91% of Meta.
• Meta reported quarterly revenue of $60.8 billion, up 28% year over year and above estimates, but earnings per share of $6.18 missed the $7.19 consensus. The company also announced a $0.525 quarterly dividend, yielding approximately 0.3%.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $788.88, although several firms recently lowered targets. Insiders sold shares under pre-arranged trading plans, while Meta faces added legal and reputational risks related to fraudulent and deepfake advertisements.

OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META - Free Report) by 123.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 710,539 shares of the social networking company's stock after buying an additional 392,172 shares during the period. Meta Platforms makes up about 2.4% of OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp's investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest holding. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp's holdings in Meta Platforms were worth $400,240,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. RHL Group LLC acquired a new position in Meta Platforms during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Advantage Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Meta Platforms in the second quarter worth $28,000. Niles Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Axiom Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Meta Platforms during the first quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Bayban raised its stake in shares of Meta Platforms by 100.0% during the first quarter. Bayban now owns 70 shares of the social networking company's stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. 79.91% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Meta Platforms Price Performance

Shares of Meta Platforms stock opened at $682.31 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 2.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company's 50-day moving average price is $606.40 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $609.40. Meta Platforms, Inc. has a 52 week low of $520.26 and a 52 week high of $790.80. The stock has a market cap of $1.74 trillion, a PE ratio of 25.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 1.25.

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The social networking company reported $6.18 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $7.19 by ($1.01). Meta Platforms had a net margin of 29.83% and a return on equity of 33.18%. The business had revenue of $60.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $60.22 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $7.14 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Meta Platforms, Inc. will post 27.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Meta Platforms Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 28th. Investors of record on Monday, September 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.525 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 21st. This represents a $2.10 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Meta Platforms's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.91%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Meta Platforms

In related news, insider Christopher Cox sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $675.23, for a total transaction of $13,504,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 224,516 shares in the company, valued at approximately $151,599,938.68. This trade represents a 8.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Susan Li sold 9,196 shares of Meta Platforms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $550.61, for a total transaction of $5,063,409.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 13,186 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,260,343.46. This trade represents a 41.09% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 81,758 shares of company stock valued at $51,214,020. Corporate insiders own 13.53% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $800.00 price objective on shares of Meta Platforms in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of Meta Platforms from $770.00 to $763.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $835.00 to $640.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Monness Crespi & Hardt reduced their price target on shares of Meta Platforms from $890.00 to $730.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Rothschild & Co Redburn increased their price objective on shares of Meta Platforms from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-four have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $788.88.

Key Stories Impacting Meta Platforms

Here are the key news stories impacting Meta Platforms this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America maintained a Buy view, estimating Meta could save approximately $8.5 billion in 2027 by shifting AI workloads to its in-house MTIA chips. Meta reportedly plans to deploy newer chips in 2027, potentially reducing dependence on Nvidia and improving AI margins. Meta Can Save $8.5 Billion in 2027 by Using Its Own MTIA Chips
• Positive Sentiment: Meta’s Muse AI agent and the new Meta One subscription are strengthening the investment case that the company can diversify beyond advertising. Meta One combines higher AI usage limits and features across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, creating a potential recurring-revenue stream. Meta Platforms: Get In Before September 23
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism remains a near-term catalyst. Citi identified Meta Connect on September 23 as a possible trigger for additional product announcements and investor enthusiasm, while Rosenblatt reiterated a Buy rating with an $886 price target. Meta Event Next Week Could Spark Stock Gains, Says Citi
• Neutral Sentiment: Meta is expanding Muse’s capabilities, including phone calls, as it competes with emerging AI-agent providers. The move could improve user engagement and monetization, but competition and the execution required to turn usage into paid revenue remain significant. Rival AI Agents and Meta’s Muse Add Calling
• Negative Sentiment: A German court ruled Meta liable for fraudulent third-party advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, ordering the company to remove such content and pay damages. The decision could increase legal costs and raise concerns about platform-monitoring obligations. German Court Rules Meta Liable for Fake Ads
• Negative Sentiment: Consumer advocate Clark Howard said Meta declined to remove a deepfake advertisement using his likeness. The episode adds reputational and regulatory risk as Meta attempts to control AI-generated scams and fraudulent advertising. Facebook Told Clark Howard a Deepfake Ad Meets Its Standards
• Negative Sentiment: Chief Product Officer Christopher Cox sold 20,000 Meta shares worth about $13.5 million. The transaction was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, which reduces its signaling value, but insider selling can still weigh modestly on sentiment. SEC Insider Trading Filing

Meta Platforms Profile

Meta Platforms, Inc develops technologies that help people connect, communicate and build communities online. The company's principal products include Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Threads, which enable social networking, messaging, content sharing and digital communication.

Meta generates most of its business through advertising displayed across its family of apps. It also develops artificial intelligence technologies, business messaging tools and hardware and software through its Reality Labs division, including Quest virtual- and mixed-reality devices and related experiences.

The company was founded as Facebook in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and was renamed Meta Platforms in 2021 to reflect its broader focus on building the metaverse.

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